Hurricane Irene, later downgraded to a tropical storm, left thousands of PPL customers without electricity over the weekend.

Desperate residents were left to seek alternative methods for surviving hours, and maybe days, without power.

"Bloody miserable" is how Middle Smithfield resident Brian Brennan described the last 24 hours without power as he picked up ice and water at the Stroudsburg Weis store on Monday.

Brennan said his neighbors have resorted to using swimming pool water for toilet water — a not uncommon tale among those whose power was lost.

PPL told Brennan to expect to be out of power for two to three days.

"This ice won't even last when I make it home," he lamented.

Proof of being a PPL customer varied from store to store. In some cases, customers were asked to bring a utility bill and in other cases it was on the honor system. Limits on how much water and ice customers could take also varied, depending on the store.

Rosemary Barrett of Winona Lakes and Eleanor Rivera of Wooddale Lakes each arrived at the East Stroudsburg Weis store at the same time for free ice only to find the freezer empty.

"I guess we got here late," said Barrett, who had filled tubs with ice and water and resorted to camping equipment in order to cook.

When asked how Rivera found out about the free supplies she said, "I got a message on my cell phone from the Pocono Record. If I didn't turn on my phone, we wouldn't have known."

Daniel Birnbaum and Mary Woods, both residents of Bushkill and Met-Ed customers, had to pay for their ice and bottled waters.